A Touching Moment Between A Boy And His Service Dog

James Isaac is a 9-year-old boy with special needs. Diagnosed with autism at a young age, James has a service dog named Mahe, and they share a very special connection.

Mahe’s job is to help calm James when he’s upset. His mother told Stuff that life before Mahe was very difficult. “We couldn’t even go to a cafe as a family. James would get very anxious and want to leave immediately. But when we got Mahe, James would just sit there waiting for us to finish our coffee.”

Mahe also helps provide protection for James. When they’re paired together outside (James wears a special harness), Mahe helps keep James nearby so he can’t run off. If he does try to wander, Mahe is trained to sit down and not move.

And more recently, Mahe has played a big role in helping James stay calm during a trip to the hospital. He started to have seizures and needed to have an MRI scan. The photo above is of Mahe comforting him before his MRI procedure.